Garden Design

How would soapy bath water affect garden plants?

If during the dry season I used bath water to feed garden plants/lawn etc would it damage plants/vegetables or ruin the the soil/lawn in any way??? Is soapy bath water harmful to plant leaf's? wil soapy bath water make a lawn patchy? Will soapy bath water harm seedlings, young plants or do damage to gardens in general?

Public Comments

1. every chemistry you put in to ground where are the flowers will demage them, just a little bit of logic will you feel sick if you drink soapy water? YES you will, so will the flowers, and it may even kill them...
2. No it's fine everyone did it in 1976 when the drought was on
3. You would only ruined them if you used the soapy water generously. Don't saturate the plants.
4. I use bath water and the rain butt to water the garden have since 1976, and my flowers win prizes.... I think it is like anything, a little isn't a problem, a lot is.... If you are worried about the chemical content the use more rain water to bath water, say water the plant once a week with bath water and the rest of the time with rain water..... I do 50-50 bath to rain, slightly more if the butt looks a little dry.
5. no it will not hurt them ...i do it to conserve water ..have healthy veggies.and lawn ....also i put dish liquid in my spray equipment to spray ...makes it stick to leaves ..i manage about 3900 acres of cotton and soybeans ../..so water plus chemical plus soap =dead grass ..healthy beans ...see the chemical wont hurt the beans ...so now take the chemical; out your left with soap water
6. I agree it won't hurt at all because the soap is very diluted.
7. EH YUK DON'T YOU RINSE YOURSELF OFF AFTER THE SOAP AND BUBBLES, DAMN THAT IS BAD. I THINK THE ONLY THING AFFECTED HERE IS YOUR HYGIENE PHEW!!!!
8. My mother always threw the soapy water on her roses and they were beautiful. The soap washes away mold and bugs you have a win win situation there.
9. Of course it won't damage your plants/lawn. They would prefer bath water to no water. Even when they get rain it's acid rain !
10. I've always used it. The soap gets rid of bugs too. I also pour left over soda drinks on plants. They love the sugar. Just a few splashes per plant. m
11. Soapy water on roses is great as it gets rid of green and black fly, I use it regular on stuff in my garden and have had no problems and everyone did it in the 1976 drought.
12. As long as there are no bath oils in the water it will be fine. I use soapy dish water on my plants and it does not harm them. Jerry Baker recommends soapy water for plants.
13. So long as you don't use an anti-bacterial soap it won't do any harm. Just don't use it on seedlings.Also if you use anti-bacterial soap do NOT use it on any fruit or vegetables.
14. I use bath and sink water (tecnhically called "grey" water) and my garden's flourishing, even the lawn.
15. Soapy bath water is beneficial to plants before all these wonderful sprays etc it was used to control green and black fly and no it will not harm anything the amount of soap required to cause harm is like a solid block in a cupful of water
16. The bath water will not harm any plants. Reusing water this way is a great way to help conserve water. The small soap content should not have any adverse effects on plantlife. Bath soap and dish soap both are made to degrade quickly, and should not have any lasting impact on soil. Just don't allow used bath water or dish soap water to get close to streams, ditches or bodies of water.
17. It won't harm the plants at all. I've done that several times. Plants have the capacity to strain unwanted chemicals. People don't need carbon dioxide but plants do. Those that are harmful to others cannot be harmful to all.
18. my brother-in-law found a great system he uses ammonia,liquid soap and a capful of Listerine sprays everything that's green including our flowers than sprays a good fertilizer over everything it works wonders
19. bath water is fine, it didn't hurt your skin it's not going hurt the plants.
20. Use the water on the soil only , buy some soap that is environment friendly,you get it in health shops than you won't damage anything .
21. they would be cleaner
22. I got a great recipe for lawn/flowers. 1 can beer, 1/2 cup ammonia, and 1/2 cup of baby shampoo.. put it in one of those plastic bottle that screw to the hose, and spray away, the hose will dilute the ingredients and makes your lawn great looking, and free of alot of bugs/weeds.. Try it .. Its great!
23. Bath water is probably ok if it doesn't contain any harsh chemicals, or soil comtaminates. Here's a thought for you = The grass is always greener over the septic tank !! That's a fact, so what does that tell you?